Refrigerator freight car



June 4, 1940. R. K. scHwEBs 2,203,108

` REFRIGERATOR FREIGHT GAR Filed June l5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. K.SCHWEBS REFRIGERATOR FREIGHT CAR June 4, 1940.

Filed June13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 anni, :W

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Ir'lve nt D r'. Robert Kent Schw/EIDE.

Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES,

PATENT GFFICE REFRIGERATOR FREIGHT CAR Robert Kent Schwebs, Hortonville,Wis.

Application June 13, 1938, Serial No. 213,421

5 Claims. (Cl. 62-24) This invention appertains to refrigerator freightcarsof the type employed in shipping perishable foodstuffs, and is animprovement on the constructions -shown Vin my Patents No.

5 2,136,894 of November 15, 1938. and No. 2,159,406

of May 23, 1939. p

In my two mentioned patents, I disclosed various means for continuouslycirculating air through the refrigerator car, while the car isin itransit. This means consisted of fans driven in various manners fordrawing air up through the ice bunkers from the iioor of the car, andforcing the same over the goods in the car to the end that a continuouscycle of conditioned air would l be passed through the perishablearticles, so that the perishable articles could be maintained at the4same temperature at all points in the car. While the means employedoperated admirably within certain limits, I have found that there was adecided tendency for a large portion of the air, instead of being drawndown through the articles and up through the bunkers, to flow around theupper sides of the car and over the top of the bunker, and then to thefans. Naturally, this ilow of air did not accomplish the desiredconditions for cooling.

It is, therefore, one of the salient objects of my invention to provideAmeans for automatically closing the space above thepartition forming theice bunker on each side of the power-driven fan, whereby, when the fanis in operation, the air will not be drawn around the sides of the carand over the top of the bunker, but will be drawn. down through the bodyof the lcar and up through the bunker.

Another important object of my invention is the provision of.me mbers ofany desired character for closing the space between the bunker partitionand the roof of the car on each side of the air-circulating fan, withmeans for automatically closing said members as soon as the fan startsin operation, means being provided for holding the meinbers open at allother times. A further object of my invention is to provide means foremploying fluid under pressure for automatically closing the ventilatorshutters over` the bunkers when fluid under pressure is utilized fordriving the'air-circulating fans, so that when the pressure vis employedfor operating fan, said pressure will synchronously operate and closethe Ventilating shutters. l

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novelconstruction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary.longitudinal, sectional view through arefrigerator freight car, showing one form of my improved appliance in-5 corporated therewith.

Figure 2 is a transverse, sectional view through the car,takensubstantially on the line 2-2 of Figure l, looking in the directionof vthe arrows,

showing my improved appliance incorporated l0 therewith. l

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through the car, takensubstantially on the line 3-f3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction ofthe arrows, illustrating one means for autol5 matically opening andclosing the Ventilating shutters, the shutters being shown in theirclosed position. f

Figure 4 is a view similar toliigure 3, showing the `.rentilatingshutters in their open position. 20

Figure. 5 is\ a detail, vertical, sectional view, taken substantially onthe line 5--5 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

` Figure 6 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view,

l taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Figure 3, 25 lookingin thedirectionof the arrows illustrating the pressure means for closing theventilating shutters. l

Referring to the drawings'in detail, wherein similar referencecharacters designate corre- 30 sponding parts Athroughout the severalviews, the

letter R generally indicates a refrigerator freight car, and the sameembodiesthe usual insulated body I0 having formed at each end thereofbunkers II. 'I hese bunkers are formed by trans- 35 verse partitions I2,which extend entirely across the car. -The partitions terminate .shortof the roof of a car, as can be clearly seen by referring to Figures v1and 2 of the drawings. The partitions include vertical uprights I3,which are 4 arranged in spaced relation, and the uprights extendentirely to the roof of the car. The space above'the partition andvbetween the uprights I3 form"large Ventilating openings or airpassageways I4. 'I'he bunkers II are adapted to receive ice during thewarm seasons ofthe year, and heating devices during cold seasons of theyear. The ice or the heaters, as the case may be. restsl on a grating I5above the level of the car-11001;. 50 The body of the car is likewiseprovided with a suitably perforated or reticulated false bottom I6,on'which the foodstuils to be shipped are placed. The partition I2terminates at the grating I5 and false bottom IS, but the uprights 55 I3of the partition extend from the floor to the roof, as previouslydescribed.

An air-circulating fan I1 of the desired capacity is arranged above thepartition |2 at the central portion of the car, and is employed fordrawing the air up through the bunkers over the top of the foodstuffs,down through the foodstuffs, and up into the bunkers below the falsebottom I6 and the grate I5. By employing the air-circulating fan I1, acontinuous cycle of air can be caused to flow in the car.

The air-circulating fan I1 can be driven in any preferred manner, suchas by an electric motor, an internal combustion engine, or by meansshown in my two mentioned pending applications. For the purpose ofillustration, l I have shown the air-circulating fan I1 drivensubstantially in the same manner-as in my Patent No. 2,136,894 ofNovember 15, 1938, and thus the fan is driven from a turbine I8. Asuitable liquid, such as oil under pressure, is employed for actuatingthe turbine, andthis oil can be placed under pressure from a rotary pumpI9 driven from a friction drive wheel 20, which is normally held inContact with one of the car-wheels. The' pump takes the fluid from areservoir tank 2|, and forces the same through a pipe line 22, whichleads to the turbines for the air-circulating fans located at theopposite ends of the car.

A pipe 22 is also connected byA a pressure relief valve 23 with thereservoir tank 2|, whereby v if the pressure exceeds a predetermineddegree the same can by-pass into the reservoir tank and the valve can beadjusted to the desired pressure.

The return pipe 24 leads from the turbinev I8 back to the reservoirs 2|.

I have found that in actual practice the air tends to ilow along thesidesl of the car at the KMtop thereof and into and over the icebunkers. It is then forced into the central part of the car by theair-circulating fan. In order to overcome this diiliculty I propose toprovide means 25 for The space above the partition on each side of v4the fan can b e automatically opened and closed in various manners, andI have only illustrated oneform for automatically opening and closingthe same. As I have shown the air-circulating fans driven by turbines,which are in turn operated by liquid under pressure, I employ liquidunder pressure to automatically close'the Ventilating shutters.

In the present instance I have illustrated my Ventilating shutters toconsist of a plurality of vertically disposed slats orlouvres 26, whichare rockably mounted on vertical pivots 21. All of the slats or louvresare connected together `by means of an operating rod 28, which extendtransversely across the car.v This rod 28 is connected by means of links29'with thev slats or shutters, and the rod is guided in its movement bybearing brackets 30. Obviously, by shifting the rod 28, the slats orlouvres can. be opened or closed. y I

Adjacent to the turbine I position a cylinder 3|, in which-is mounted 4apiston 32. The piston 32 has connected therewith a. piston rod 33, whichcan be connected with the liquid under pressure by means of a pipe 35,and the liquid under pressure, when admitted thereto, forces the pistonagainst the tension of the spring 34 to the opposite end of thecylinder, and moves the rod 28 in such a manner as to close these slatsor louvres.

Obviously, pressure is only admitted to the cylinder 3| .when the pumpI9 starts in operation to supply pressure to the turbine I8. Thus, whenthe car is standing still, and the air-circulating fan is not inoperation, the car will be cooled in the ordinary manner and the airWill circulate in the usual way.

My invention relates broadly to automatic means for opening and closingthe space above the bunker partition on 'each, side of the Ventilatingfan, and it is to be understood that any desired means other thanpivoted slats or louvres can be employed.

Changes in details may be made without de parting from the spirit or thescope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

l. In a refrigerator car, a body having side walls, an end wall, a roof,a floor, and a false bottom for said floor, a partition extendingtransversely across the body adjacent to the end wall terminating shortof the roof and at the false bottom, said partition defining inconjunction with the side and en d walls an ice bunker, anaircirculating fanl disposed above the partition at the central portionthereof for `drawing air up through the ice bunker and into the body ofthe caradjacent to the roof, meansv for operating the fan, ventilatorsfor opening and closing the space' between the partition and the roof onopposite sides of the fan, means normally maintaining the ventilators inopen position, andmeans for automaticallyl closing said. ventilatorsagainst the tension of said last-mentioned means when the fan is inoperation.

' 2. Inla refrigerator car, a -body having side walls, an end wall, aroof, a oonand a false bottom for said floor, apartition disposedtransversely across the body vadjacent to the end-wall extending fromthe `false bottom toward said roof, said partition terminating short ofthe roof and forming in conjunction with the rside and end walls an icebunker, an4 air-circulating device disposed above the partition at thecentral portion thereof for drawing airup through the ice bunker andforcing the same into the body of the car adjacent to the roof, a fluiddriven motor for operating the device, ventilators for controlling thespace between the partition and the roof on .terminating short of theroof,. defining an ice bunker in conjunction with the side and endwalls, an air-circulating fan disposed above the partition for drawingair up `through the ice bunker and into the bodyl ofthe car adjacent tothe roof, a uid driven motor for operating the fan, a ventilator forcontrolling the space between the partition and the roof of the car oneach side of thefan, said ventilators including a plurality of pivotedslats, a single operating rod for actuating all of the slatssynchronously,. a cylinde1','a piston in said cylinder, meansoperatively connecting the piston to the rod, spring means normallyholding the piston and the rod in one position for holding the slatsopen, and means connecting the cylinder with the source of uid for themotor whereby to cause the operation of the piston against said springmeansl when the motor is in operation to move the slats to a closedposition. v

4. In a refrigerator car, a body having side walls, an end wall, a roof,a floor and a false bottorn for said oor, a partition disposedtransversely across the body adjacent to the end wall extendingsubstantially from the false bottom and terminating short of the roofand forming 1n conjunction with the side and end walls a lbunkercompartment separate from the lading compartment of the car, an aircirculating device in the space between said partition and said roof-for drawing air from one of said compartments to the other of saidcompartmentsa4 uid driven motor for operating said device, ventilatorsfor controlling the portion of the space between saidpartition andsaidroof not occupied by said device, means for normallyholding theventilators in open position, and means operated by the uid for themotor for closing said ventilators when the motor is in operation.

5. In a refrigerator car, a body having side walls, Aan end Wall, aroof, a floor and a false bottom for said oor, a partition disposedtransverselyacross the body adjacent to the end wall extendingsubstantially from the false bottom and terminating short of the roofand forming in conjunction with the side and end walls a bunkercompartment separate from the lading compartment of the car, an aircirculating device in the space between said partition and said roof fordrawing air from one of said compartments to the other of saidcompartments, a fluid driven motor for operating said device,ventilators j for controlling the portion of the space between saidpartition and said roof not occupied by said device, a cylinder, apiston within said cylinder operatively connected to said ventilatorsand an expansion spring positioned to hold the piston at one end of thecylinder and thus normally hold the ventilators in open position, andmeans connecting the cylinder with the source of fluid for the motorwhereby to cause th'e'operation of the piston against said spring whenthe motor is in operation to move the ventilators to closed position.

ROBERT KENT SCHWEBS.

